Sunday, August 17, 2008

40. The Redundant Blunder

Hello, Everyone! I'm back again today with another rule concerning something we hear and read everywhere, it seems--and this one isn't peculiar only to Southerners :>)

Have you ever noticed how many times we repeat things in conversations and writings? This error is called a REDUNDANCY...or sometimes we'll hear a grammarian say, "Your remark is REDUNDANT!" Webster's defines REDUNDANT as ..." exceeding that which is necessary...excess...using more words than is needed...repetition..."

Now this kind of error is not normally a grammatical error. It is, however, an error that that weakens the impact of good writing and conversation.

So...what are some examples of this blunder? Actually, there are many being used around us all the time and most folks probably don't even realize it. Here are some examples:

One I used to hear quite often in my English classes was the following:

"Please repeat that again."

Okay. Think about it. When you say, "Repeat...again", aren't you repeating yourself? The way to improve this sentence would be to say, "Repeat that, please." Just leave out the repetitious word.

1. We thought we had provided adequate seating with a chair for each person in attendance.This sentence is wordy. One possible way to improve it would be to say something like this:

1. We thought we had provided adequate seating.This time you have come straight to the point and not put your reader to sleep.

Here's another example of a longer redundant phrase:

2. Although Frank tried to keep his thoughts to himself, he suddenly thought out loud to the startled group.Another wordy sentence. Try something like this to improve it:

2. Although Frank tried to keep his thoughts to himself, he suddenly spoke to the startled group.Much better!

Becoming aware of redundant words and phrases will probably take some effort since we're so accustomed to hearing and seeing them, but if you work on it and stay alert, you'll greatly improve your speaking and writing.

Here are some more to think about:

REDUNDANT PHRASE EXPLANATION

absolutely certain... There's no room for doubt...It's absolute...a.m. in the morning... If occurring in the morning, it has to be a.m...and also... Use one word or the other...not both.and etc... Etc. is Latin for "and so forth."as an added bonus... If something is a bonus, it must be added.ATM machine... ATM means Automated Teller Machine.autobiography of my life... Aren't you writing it?close proximity... You can't have "far" proximity. Delete "close."...exactly the same... If something is exactly the same, it must be exact. honest truth... If something isn't the truth, it isn't honest.Kleenex tissue... Kleenex IS a tissue. Delete "tissue" sum total... If you have a sum, you have a total. Delete one word.true fact... By definition, a fact must be true. Delete "true".Xerox copy... Xerox IS a copy. Delete "copy."

Well, that brings us to the end of today's lesson. There are many, many more examples of REDUNDANT words and phrases (and I've just used one--but here, it's for emphasis, and using them this way is occasionally acceptable if not overdone.) We'll look at some more of them later. Meanwhile, let me know if you hear any not mentioned here. I'm sure you have seen some of these in newspaper, magazine and sign ads. These types of expressions most certainly illustrate the "less is more" adage and should reinforce the necessity of our developing good writing and speaking skills.

Have a great week, enjoy doing lots of fun things, and remember that I love hearing from you. Peace and happiness to all! GG

Seriously though, from a listening comprehension point of view, some redundancy is useful. It gives the listener the time to take in what has been said. It gives the speaker time and space to oraganize disourse. It can be emphatic and so focus the listener's attention. However, like everything, it needs to be used unredundantly.:o)

2. Although Frank tried to keep his thoughts to himself, he suddenly thought out loud to the startled group.Another wordy sentence. Try something like this to improve it:

2. Although Frank tried to keep his thoughts to himself, he suddenly spoke to the startled group.Much better!

isn't there a difference in thinking out loud and speaking? I would consider thinking out loud as unintentional. To get that point across, I think 'thought out loud' is 'more better!' Have you heard that phrase? If so, you aren't the 'onliest' one!

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Have you ever wondered who the Grammar Guide is?
We've got the answer. :o)
She's a lifelong educator, an English expert (chuckle...she'd say not, but we know she is). Her name is Sara Cartrette, and she taught high school English for a total of 34 years (25 at Whiteville High School, her own alma mater :-) Her heart is in the South, so the blog entries will have a Southern flavor. Become a grammar star...visit often, and enjoy!

Have you ever wondered who the Grammar Guide is?
We've got the answer. :o)
She's a lifelong educator, an English expert (chuckle...she'd say not, but we know she is). Her name is Sara Cartrette, and she taught high school English for a total of 34 years (25 at Whiteville High School, her own alma mater :-) Her heart is in the South, so the blog entries will have a Southern flavor. Become a grammar star...visit often, and enjoy!

About Me

This is a weekly grammar blog meant to be an interactive forum where people can discuss some of the facets of Standard English....Southern style. ** Note: Being able to blog using this free site is great. However, I have formatting limitations; so for now - on my computers - I'm not getting to use bold, italics, indenting, etc. Thanks for your patience and flexibility. I'll just use capitalized letters and other options (that may be less than ideal grammatically) unless/until I discover other ways to format. ** One last note -- we all make mistakes from time to time, so don't be surprised to read about something you have been saying and didn't realize was an error. Sometimes we've heard and seen certain mistakes so often we just automatically absorb them without thinking. The writer of this blog makes errors, too, so if you notice one, don't hesitate to let me know. If what you say is correct, I'll make the appropriate change. If I disagree with you, I'll be polite and explain why.